Raw yet refined, polished yet unpretentious, The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne marks a new era of luxury for the dynamic Australian city
With a reputation as Sydney’s cool younger cousin, Melbourne has skyrocketed to the top of travellers’ lists in recent years for its stellar restaurants and bars, thriving art scene and eclectic neighbourhoods.
Speaking of skyrocketing to the top—after nine years in the making, The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne finally opened its doors in March this year, occupying the top 17 floors of an 80-storey skyscraper in the city’s central business district.
The views here are stellar, stretching from the CBD skyline to historical landmarks such as Queen Victoria Market, rows upon rows of Melbourne’s iconic Victorian-style homes, the winding Yarra River and all the way out to the Dandenong Ranges.
With elements that speak to a new era of luxury, signature Ritz-Carlton service and exceptional five-star amenities, there's little doubt that The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne will be a go-to hotel for discerning travellers visiting the city.
First Impressions
The street-level entrance of The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne is elegant but subtle. It’s when the elevator opens on the 80th floor to a marble-clad lobby, flush with natural light pouring through soaring windows, that the “wow” factor hits.
The Ritz-Carlton enlisted Cottee Parker Architects, who took every opportunity to show off the view, whether that’s in the lobby, the 257 guest rooms and suites, the dining outlets and even the pool. And rightly so. There aren’t many—if any—places in Melbourne that offer a vantage point like this.
Melbourne-based interior design firm Bar Studio complemented this by taking a minimalist approach, opting for neutral hues and inviting pieces that encourage guests to sit and stay a while, creating a kind of gallery of the hotel's towering windows.
In doing this, the hotel feels alive and experiential, evolving as the day shifts from soft morning light to the seductive, electric glow of the city at night.
Wanting to create a "deeply Melbournian" experience, Cottee Parker and Bar Studio have implanted charming homages to the city's history throughout the property. Works by indigenous artists adorn the walls alongside oversized photos of everyday life in Melbourne by photographer Fabrice Bigot, and welcoming guests to the spa is a water feature that recalls a black marble water wall that once stood on the corner of Collins and Swanston streets, where people used to pick up leaves and write messages on them to post on the wall—a sweet memory for many locals.
See also: The Local Edit: Sunnies Founder Martine Ho's Guide to Melbourne
